The Truth About Lies
by foxy11814
Summary: Thor knew his father had kept secrets from Loki. Supposedly, he had done it for Loki's own good, but now Thor knows how his brother felt. Loki's parentage isn't the only family secret Odin has kept over the years. He has one or two about Thor as well, and now they're coming to light. How will this affect Thor's relationships with his father and his brother? SPOILERS FOR DARK WORLD!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer and Notes: I'm tackling a subject that has been addressed in Marvel comics, but I will go ahead and admit I'm doing it differently. That's all I'll say for now, haha.

For the purposes of my story, let's assume Thor had already discovered that Loki was pretending to be Odin and rescued him. Loki is now on the run and this all takes place shortly after "Thor 2: The Dark World". Yes, Loki is actually in this. He just doesn't show up until chapter three, but he's talked about consistently.

* * *

**The Truth About Lies**

Throughout his life, grief had been one of those words he rarely experienced. He would not say that his life had been without strife, far from it actually. For years, he, the Warriors Three, and Sif had traveled the Nine Realms to help others whenever they were in need. Foolishly, he had once considered those occasions a merry good time, but now he considered it an obligation, a duty. And, it was one he took very seriously.

Grief had helped him to make that change in his life. Grief of a brother's loss.

Thor closed his eyes as he remembered Loki letting go of Mjölnir and falling into the great void. He had believed his brother to be dead, and he had grieved. He had been so unaccustomed to it that he hadn't known how to handle it. At first, it had kept him isolated from his family and friends. He had partially blamed himself for Loki's demise. After all, if he had never disobeyed his father and gone to Jotunheim, Loki might not have ever discovered that he was a Frost Giant. If that had never happened, maybe Loki would not have been so determined to prove himself a son of the All-Father. Maybe he wouldn't have been so determined to become the King of Asgard, to show all the realms that he belonged here.

Of course, he didn't know then and he didn't know now if that were truly his brother's motivations. He honestly didn't understand Loki at times, even when they were children. That's why he was known as the God of Mischief, he supposed. Loki loved to cause trouble and no one knew why most times…not even their father.

Despite this flaw and the chaos that his brother had caused, Thor had grieved for him. He had missed him. He believed at that time that it would be impossible for him to ever feel that bad again…but life had a habit now of proving him wrong.

He now grieved the loss of his mother. And, worst yet, he knew for certain that Frigga's death was partially his fault. He had brought Jane Foster to Asgard; he had unwittingly summoned enemies to their home. And, his mother died protecting Jane. It was a noble death—he knew his mother was now in Valhalla, but that didn't make it any easier.

He stood at the railing on a balcony and looked out across Asgard. It looked as it always had despite the recent battles, but he knew it wasn't the same. It never would be ever again.

He turned around to go inside with a sigh and saw Sif leaning on the frame of the entrance.

"Are you all right, Thor?" she asked. Despite her being as tough as nails and one of the best warriors around, she always had a habit of worrying about him, especially after everything that had happened recently.

"Of course, my friend," he replied, squeezing her shoulder lightly as he passed by.

"I can never tell anymore," she said, turning around to look at him. "I know that you miss your mother. I do, too, but you can't stop living. She wouldn't want that for you."

"Who said I have stopped living?" Thor asked. He sounded almost a little offended. "I still help to protect the Nine Realms. I go and make merry with you, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg almost every afternoon." He then smiled and said, "Stop worrying, Sif. I'm fine."

Before she could say anything else, he turned around and walked away. The smile he had plastered on his face faded away as quickly as it had come.

=)=)=)

Thor was on his way to his bedchambers when he heard a resounding "NO" echo through the corridors of the palace. He knew that voice anywhere. It was his father, and he could tell that he was angry. Very angry. Thor stopped for a moment to see if he could figure out what was wrong, but all he could hear now was continuous muffles. Curious, he crept to the nearby council chamber and peeked inside through the cracked door.

Odin was inside with a woman he had never seen before. She was dressed in a dark green gown that went all the way to the floor, and her dark black hair hung loosely and wildly about her shoulders. She looked strange despite her beauty, so unlike the people here, so Thor knew she was not from Asgard.

"Why not?" he heard the woman ask testily. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at Odin.

"It is not your place to question why! We made an agreement many years ago and I expect you to keep it!"

Thor was surprised to see his father's skin redden significantly. It seemed as though he was getting angrier and angrier by the second. He was on the verge of exploding, and for once, Thor was grateful it was not at him or Loki. He watched with interest as the woman glared at Odin and seemed unintimidated. That was new. Usually people backed off when the All-Father showed hostility, but this woman showed no fear at all.

"I could help him!" she replied insistently. "He is so depressed and lost! He doesn't know what to do now or how to feel. Don't you want to help him?"

"Of course I do," Odin snapped, "but replacing Frigga is not the way to go about it, Gaea!"

The woman threw her hands out exasperatedly and announced, "I do not want to replace her! I merely want to tell him the truth!"

"No! He is not ready to hear it! He never will be! Despite what you think, I know what is best for him and this is not it!" Odin shook his head for a moment and added, "I think it's time for you to leave."

Gaea didn't move. She folded her arms across her chest and replied, "Thor deserves to know the truth. He needs to understand who he really is! This would tell him so many things about himself! It would answer questions that others and he, himself, ask all the time! Why is he so obsessed with Midgard and its people? Why is he so protective of them? Why does he feel the need to go there all the time? You know as well as I do the answer to these questions, and yet, you've never told him."

"And, I have no intention of telling him," Odin spat. "This discussion is over. There is nothing you can say that will make me change my mind."

"But…"

He glared at her irately and threatened, "If you do not leave now, I will call my Guard to escort you away, and you may not like where you go."

She cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Do you really think I'm afraid of you and your Guard?" She cast a look towards the door and Thor immediately stepped back. He wondered if she had seen him. He chanced a peek again and saw that she was looking at Odin once more and speaking. "But I will leave for now. Just know that this isn't over."

"Yes, it is," Odin replied. He turned his back on Gaea as she started to walk away.

Thor ran hurriedly down the corridor. He didn't want his father or the lady to know he had been eavesdropping on their conversation. When he turned the corner down another passageway, he leaned against the wall and contemplated what he had just heard. He didn't know what to think. It was obvious this Gaea and his father were talking about him. There was something she wanted to tell him that Odin did not want known. He wondered what it could be and if he really wanted to know. Before he could even contemplate an answer to that question, Gaea turned the corner and smiled at him.

He stood straight and waited for the woman to disobey Odin by speaking to him. Instead, she kept walking, but she did reach out for his hand. It could hardly be called a handshake at all, but as she slipped her hand away, he realized she was handing him a small piece of paper. He met her eyes as she looked back at him while she continued to walk away. She winked at him before turning down another corridor.

Thor looked down at the paper and unfolded it slowly. There were only four words on it:

_Midgard. I'll find you._

* * *

___Well, I must tell you that when I write chapter fics, usually each chapter is longer than this, BUT I wanted to test the waters and see if anyone is interested in this story. Plus, I thought that was a good place to stop. Let me know what you think, please_! =)


	2. Chapter 2

I_ just wanted to say thank you to those of you who commented, "favorited", or "followed" this story! I'm glad some of you want to join me for the ride. I hope you continue to enjoy this._

The Truth About Lies Chapter 2

Moments like this showed Thor how much Asgard had changed. Moments like this made him realize how much he missed and would continue to miss both his mother and Loki.

"_Midgard. I'll find you._"

Such a simple message and yet so cryptic. Simple, because he knew Gaea wanted to meet with him in Midgard to discuss whatever was on her mind that his father didn't want him to know. Cryptic, because he didn't know how in the world she was going to pull off the task of finding him when he went. She didn't say when he should go or where they should meet. It simply said she would find him. That seemed like an incredible task since Midgard was a rather large realm with many, many people inhabiting it.

This, more than anything, made him want to find out more about Gaea. It seemed to him that the message meant she could and would find him no matter where he went and at any time. This implied that she was a powerful and an intelligent woman. Of course, her attitude and defiance in front of the All-Father had told him that much. He wanted to know more before actually meeting her.

And, it was that desire which made him feel the absence of his mother and brother more keenly at that moment. In the past when he had questions about what his father was doing, his mother and Loki were precisely the people he went to. He had always gone to his mother first, because it was the more acceptable way to get the information. If it wasn't a big deal, generally she would tell him everything he wanted to know, but sometimes it was a big deal and she wouldn't say a word. That's when he would go to Loki.

He didn't care what anyone would say in reply if they heard him say it aloud; he'd stick by it: sometimes there were perks to having the "God of Mischief" as a brother. Loki's tricks and sneakiness were the very things that made him a problem, but they were the very qualities that made him an asset, as well. If someone was keeping a secret and Loki knew he or she had one, he would do anything he could to find out what it was, and usually he would succeed.

But he didn't have either option now. The only thing he could do besides blindly meet with Gaea was to simply ask his father who she was. He had to establish a new way of getting information in this "new Asgard" and he might as well try it the correct way first. Something told him, though, that it wouldn't work.

=)=)=)

Knocking lightly on the door, Thor stepped into the council chamber. His father was still there, standing in the middle of the room, which was the same place where he had turned away from Gaea. Had he really been standing in that one spot this long?

"Father?" he questioned, stepping into the room.

Odin turned around at the sound of the knock and his son's voice. He smiled lightly and remarked, "So, you've decided to join civilization once again."

Thor grimaced at his father's words but didn't reply. He knew he deserved the comment a little. While he did hang out with his friends almost every afternoon, he did spend a lot more time alone nowadays than he used to. For a little over a thousand years, he had the reputation of being the life of the party. That had only changed recently, so maybe people considered the change proof that he was depressed. Maybe he was a little—he would admit that.

"How are you feeling, son?" Odin asked as Thor closed the distance between them.

"I'm good," he replied. "The Nine Realms are finally calming down. Everything is…" He trailed off. He had almost stated that everything was going back to normal, but that was one thing it was most emphatically not doing. Trying to finish the statement when he noticed that his father was still looking at him expectantly, he mumbled, "…good."

Odin nodded, slowly. "That's good to hear."

He nodded, as well, in reply.

"How is Jane doing?"

He almost winced at the question. Jane was still a touchy subject between them. First, his father didn't approve of Jane because she wasn't an Asgardian. Then, there was the fact that Frigga died protecting her… Jane most definitely was not on the top of Odin's list of favorable companions for his son. Despite this, he answered carefully, "She is doing well. She is still working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and doing brilliant work for Midgard. With her help, I believe the humans will eventually become great allies in protecting the other realms…"

Odin tilted his head downward and mumbled, "If they can stop fighting amongst themselves." He looked up at his son. "I doubt that will occur anytime soon."

Thor shrugged. "There is always hope." Both father and son stood there silently for a few moments before Thor finally had enough. "There was a woman here earlier," he stated abruptly, looking at his father expectantly. He watched as Odin's eyes narrowed. "I've never seen her before. Is she a diplomat from one of the realms?"

Odin remained quiet for several long moments. Just when Thor thought his father might never answer, he replied, "Not exactly. She's someone I knew before you were born."

Thor widened his eyes. "She looks so young! I mean, for someone who has been around that long."

Odin shrugged. "Some people age well," he replied cryptically.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he asked, "Who is she? And, where is she from? Is she friend or foe?"

This made Odin snap his head towards him. "Why do you ask? Why are you so interested?"

He could hear the suspicion layered in his father's voice. "I'm just curious. Like I said, I've never seen her here before and she seemed to be…royalty?" He said the last word questioningly.

Odin sighed and answered, "She is royalty in a way. Her name is Jord."

He frowned at his father. "Jord?" he repeated incredulously before he could stop himself.

"Why the surprise?" Odin asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Knowing that his father was on the verge of finding out that he already knew her name was "Gaea" and not "Jord," he explained, "It seems like an odd name for such a…beautiful woman."

Odin flinched. Before Thor could say anything else, his father said, "I want you to stay away from Jord. You asked if she is friend or foe. She is neither and I mean to keep her that way. This is not negotiable. I tolerate your dalliances with Jane Foster, but I will not allow anyone—you, especially—to invite Jord into our lives."

Gaping at his father, he responded, "I was just asking..."

"I know you, Thor!" Odin snapped, interrupting him. "You're interested in her for some reason and I'm telling you now to leave this one alone. I do not want you mentioning her again. She won't be coming to Asgard any more, I assure you, so forget about her." When he finished speaking, he walked to the door and called over his shoulder, "It's almost time for dinner. I assume I will see you there."

Thor nodded slowly and replied, "You will."

Odin kept walking and closed the conference room door when he stepped out into the hall, effectively putting a stop to their discussion.

Thor stood there and stared at the door disbelievingly. First, his father had lied to him about Gaea's name; and then, he left the room to avoid answering anymore questions. Thor didn't know what was going on, but he was determined to find out.

=)=)=)

_Sorry that this is another short chapter. I wanted to get more written but going back to work after the holiday break has made things busy. Despite the brevity, I hope you enjoyed it!_


	3. Chapter 3

The Truth About Lies Chapter 3

Thor walked out of the council chamber and began to head back to his bedroom to put on his armor. Now that he knew his father had no intention of telling him anything about Gaea, he was determined to find out more than ever. And, he knew the only way to make that happen was to go to Midgard and meet with her.

As soon as he walked into his room, however, he heard a voice that he thought he would never hear again in Asgard.

"Well, it's good to see that some things never change. Odin certainly loves his secrets."

Thor turned in circles to try to spot his visitor. "Show yourself, brother," he stated firmly when he realized his search was pointless. Loki wouldn't be seen unless he wanted to be.

Loki laughed and asked, "Why should I? You'll simply try to capture me and take me before the All-Father so I can be punished for my supposed crimes."

Thor sat down on his bed and shook his head. "I don't know if I would or not," he mumbled. He looked up at the ceiling and asked, "Brother, I have a question for you: if you had been told at Jotenheim, before you found out who you really were, that the All-Father had kept a secret from you and that it would upset you greatly to know…would you have wanted to know what it was? Would you have chosen to hear it?"

He felt the bed dip. He brought his gaze back down and turned to look beside him. Loki sat there watching him. "I heard what happened in the council chamber a moment ago," his brother replied. "I assume this has something to do Jord."

Thor shook his head almost angrily. "No, it doesn't!" he snapped. "It has everything to do with Gaea!"

"Gaea? Who's Gaea?" Loki looked genuinely confused.

Thor jumped up. "Exactly. Father doesn't know that I know Jord's real name is Gaea! He lied to me!"

Loki grinned and quipped, "Ah, the plot thickens. The Great Odin has told another lie and this time to his favorite son, Thor. Please, continue."

Thor stared at him for several moments before he shook his head and said, "Never mind. I don't know why I even mentioned it. You should leave before I do take you to our father."

Loki sighed and then groaned. "Okay, fine. Yes, I would still want to know."

Thor lifted a brow. "Why? That knowledge destroyed everything," he mumbled.

Loki stood beside his brother and replied, "The truth didn't destroy anything. What destroyed my relationship with Odin was his lies. He could have told me any time throughout the years who I really was, but he didn't. Instead, he chose to string me along like a fool."

"He thought he was protecting you…"

Loki growled, "Do you really believe that? Do you, _brother_?" He spat the last word.

Thor didn't feel like getting into this same old argument with his brother. He ignored the question and said, "I overheard Gaea and Father talking. They were discussing me. She wants to tell me something. She claimed it would tell me why I do the things that I do, such as why I like visiting Midgard, why I love its people, and so forth. Father doesn't want me to hear it. He actually stated I'd never be ready to hear it."

"So, you're asking your estranged brother if you should pursue this?" Loki asked. "I'm not the best person to ask."

He shrugged. "I suppose you're right. I know what Mother would say if she were here."

Loki frowned at the mention of their mother. He tilted his head to the floor and asked, "What's that?"

"She would say that Father has a reason for everything that he does."

Loki huffed a little and grinned a little sarcastically. "Yes, that was her explanation for everything, wasn't it? But that doesn't mean he's always right, now does it? After all, if we had listened to him, your little Midgard girlfriend would have died."

Thor grimaced and countered, "If I had listened to him initially, Jane wouldn't have been here at all and Mother never would have died."

They both got quiet for a moment, but eventually Loki asked, "What are you planning on doing?"

"In regards to you or Gaea?"

"Both, actually."

Thor ran his fingers through his hair and replied, "I'm going to meet with Gaea in Midgard. As for you, I'm going to let you go. Get out of here before someone catches on to the fact that you're in Asgard."

Loki smirked. "What? And miss out on Odin's latest work of fiction? I think not, brother. Do you want company on your trip to Midgard?"

Thor raised his brow questioningly. "Heimdall would see you when we use the Bifrost."

Loki sighed exasperatedly and in a deceitfully depressing manner suggested, "Perhaps, we should go to Midgard my way and avoid Heimdall altogether. Or would you rather have Sif or those other clowns you call friends with you?"

Thor glared at him and snapped, "You do realize, Loki, that the only reason I'm not turning you in is because you helped me when I needed you and that I still consider you my brother…but don't take liberties and make fun of _our_ friends. Don't forget they were once yours, too."

"They were always yours, Thor. Not mine."

Thor stood up abruptly and stated, "Fine. Let's go your way again."

Loki grinned triumphantly and asked, "And, where are we going to meet this Gaea? That determines which way we'll go."

Thor shrugged and replied, "She never gave me a location or time. She just said she'd find me."

"Oh, I like that. A little intrigue," Loki responded. "I think I might like this one more than your scientist, Thor."

Thor couldn't help but grin at that. "Careful, brother," he replied, "she is just as old, if not older, than our father."

Loki widened his eyes for only a second. "Oh, so I see. I thought you surely liked them young since you're seeing this mortal who is still practically a baby in comparison to your years, but now I see that you like them old, as well. You never can make up your mind, can you?"

Thor rolled his eyes and he stepped into his closet to change his clothes hurriedly. When they finally left his chambers, Loki changed his appearance into Volstagg, so they could leave the palace together undetected. Thor knew he had to be crazy, running off with Loki to Midgard to meet with Gaea, but he continued on this path anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry this took a little while to get out. The busyness of the season is making it a little rough to write, especially when I have other fics in other fandoms. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this!_

The Truth About Lies Chapter 4

Thor and Loki walked hurriedly down the palace's corridors. Thor didn't know exactly where they were going or how Loki planned on getting them to Earth, but he did know the sooner they got away from the palace the better. It would be less likely that they would get caught if they were away from Odin and his guards. They were almost out one of the side entrances when a sudden voice stopped them.

"Thor!"

They turned around to see Sif jogging towards them.

"Oh, great," Loki murmured, still disguised as Volstagg. "Here comes your other girlfriend. Really, Thor, this is what happens when you have so many. They're constantly in the way."

"Shut up, brother," he replied softly, glaring at him, before turning back to face Sif.

Once she stood in front of them, she looked at who she thought was Volstagg and asked, "How did you get here so quickly? I thought you were going to stay with the others."

Loki smirked and replied, "I changed my mind."

To get her mind off of Volstagg's presence, Thor quickly grabbed her attention. "Is there something wrong?"

She sighed and said, "No, nothing's wrong. Your father is wondering what is keeping you so long, though. Apparently, you told him that we would see you at dinner. Everyone is in the dining hall waiting for you to show up." She looked him up and down for a moment and then rested her eyes on Mjölnir. "But it seems to me that you have other plans. Where are you going?"

Thor knew he had to tell her something, but he didn't know what. Luckily, he didn't have to come up with anything because Loki intervened. "We are going to see Heimdall. When you left, a guard told me privately that he wanted to see us."

Sif looked suspicious and questioned, "And, you need to be dressed for battle to see Heimdall?"

Loki smirked and replied, "When Heimdall sends for us, you know it usually deals with the security of Asgard. I'm sure Thor just wants to be prepared."

She nodded. "Okay, so why do you think he wants to see us? Do you have any ideas?"

Relieved that she bought Loki's explanation, Thor replied, "He only wants to see me and Volstagg. You can go back to the dining room and inform the others where we have gone. We will be back soon unless Heimdall sends us somewhere."

Sif shook her head. "No, I think I'd rather go with you. I'm sure the others would, too. It's better to be prepared to leave right away instead of having to search for us or having to go alone."

Thor frowned, but before he could say anything, Loki exclaimed happily, "Yes, you're probably right. You should go to get the others."

Thor widened his eyes in surprise. He was about to question him on it when Loki stepped on his foot and pressed down hard as he used his elbow to jab him in his side. Thor lurched forward slightly before glaring at his brother.

Sif watched this interaction with interest. She was clearly confused, because while she knew Thor considered them all family, usually only he and Loki would act with such familiarity and lack of concern when it came to etiquette. Thor knew this was why she was scrutinizing them so closely.

Loki grinned at her calmly and said, "We'll wait right here while you go to get the others."

She looked into both of their smiling faces and nodded. "Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can. The others will probably want to grab their weapons, though, so you know that will take several minutes."

"Good. I mean, that's fine," Loki replied. "Hurry and tell them. The sooner they get ready, the sooner we can go and find out what's going on."

She looked at Thor one more time before walking away.

As soon as she was out of hearing distance, Thor turned to him and snapped, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Yes," Loki said sarcastically, "raving mad! Now, let's get out of here before they get back!"

The two brothers ran through the door. Once outside, they turned left to go to the back of the palace. Thor had suspected them to go in the opposite direction, so he had to turn around abruptly when he realized Loki was not beside him.

Loki glanced at him as they walked and mumbled, "Not every wisely-chosen road is ahead of you, Thor. Sometimes, it's behind you."

=)=)=)

Climbing up a sharp ravine that led from a cave, Thor and Loki found themselves in what appeared to be Midgard. It looked similar to—what had Jane called it?—New Mexico. Once they stood on a flat surface, they looked around and surveyed the area. No one seemed to be around for miles. No signs of civilization were there.

"Why the middle of nowhere, brother?" Thor asked, frowning slightly.

Loki walked ahead of him. "It's not like we have a lot of options. I thought we'd like to come out some place where people wouldn't see us right away and draw a lot of attention."

Thor sighed and replied, "Did you ever think that publicity is how Gaea is going to find me? If she knows about MIdgard, she might know about the Avengers initiative, as well. Maybe she's counting on being told of my arrival from others."

Loki shook his head and cocked his lips in what appeared to be distaste. "I sincerely hope not. That would be an unfortunate letdown. I must admit I am very intrigued by the little I know about this Gaea. Anyone who argues with Odin is better than any mere mortal. I think she will find you even if we stayed right here."

At that moment, an intense wind blew on them and sand brushed against their faces. Both raised their hands to shield their eyes. Slightly ahead of them, they could see something which appeared to be rising from the sand. When they recognized what appeared to be the top of a head, Loki raised his brow and remarked, "I just love it when I'm right."

They watched the figure rise from the earth and as soon as Thor saw her face, he knew it was her. "Gaea," he whispered. He noticed from his peripheral vision that Loki had looked at him briefly and started to grin.

When Gaea was completely visible, the wind stopped blowing and everything became as serene as it was a moment ago. Thor stayed where he was, but Loki stepped forward a little and exclaimed, "That was quite an entrance. Gaea, I assume."

Their visitor merely looked at Loki with a raised eyebrow for a moment before looking at Thor. "I knew you would come," she stated with a smile. "Once you discovered Earth, you never could stay away for too long."

Thor finally moved forward with a similar expression to hers and stood beside his brother. "Well, Earth isn't what appealed to me this time. I came to see you."

"And, I am glad," she replied. "How are you doing, Thor?" She stood in front of them and stared at him with warm brown eyes. "I know things have been hard on you since Frigga died. I know you loved her."

Thor was surprised at the woman's tone. She sounded like she actually knew him and cared. Even her comment about him never being able to stay away from Earth had unsettled him for that very reason. Despite this, he was determined to remain calm while he figured out what she wanted and if she was a threat of any kind. "Well, she was my mother," he replied carefully. "As for how I'm doing, I'm…doing well."

She nodded and tilted her head to the ground. "That's good." She looked up and stared at the man Thor had brought with him. Finally acknowledging him, she asked, "Are you going to introduce us, Thor?"

He cleared his throat and furrowed his brow in bewilderment. "I suppose I can, but truly you haven't even introduced yourself to me."

She laughed a little. "I suppose I am getting ahead of myself a little. It's just that I know you were outside the room when Odin and I were speaking, but I suppose we should do this properly." She extended her hand and stated, "My name is Gaea."

He held her hand lightly and nodded at her. Awkwardly, he replied, "I'm Thor. This is my brother, Loki."

Gaea stared at Loki for a few seconds and mumbled, "Ah, Frigga and Odin's adopted son."

Both men widened their eyes. "How do you know about that?" Loki asked, sounding slightly angry and surprised.

She shrugged lightly. "Oh, I kept up with what was going on in Asgard. I kept a close watch, especially while the both of you were young."

Loki cracked an acerbic smile. "You make yourself sound like our secret protector." He glanced at Thor and continued, "But something tells me you were Thor's rather than both of ours."

She nodded her head once in acquiescence to his words. "That may be partially true, Loki, but you getting hurt would have caused Thor pain, so I would have intervened if I had to. Fortunately, I never had to too much."

"Too much?" Thor questioned. "That means you have."

"Of course. More times than you might think," she agreed.

"When and why?"

She shook her head with a sad smile. "Those are the two important questions, especially the last one."

"Well, why don't we start with that one first?" Loki suggested.

She nodded and replied, "Very well." She looked solely at Thor and began. "Many years ago before you were born, Thor, I met your father. We got along reasonably well in the beginning. It wasn't long, though, before I knew Odin wanted something from me besides friendship. You know how your father is when he wants something: he gets this odd expression and you can tell he's thinking about the future and making plans. He did this often while staring at me." She huffed a little and admitted, "If he hadn't already been married to Frigga, I would have thought he liked me." She shook her head and laughed a little. "Eventually, I found out why he was so interested in me, and believe me, I hadn't seen it coming."

"What did he want?" both Thor and Loki asked simultaneously.

Gaea turned away from him and looked up at the blue sky. Not a cloud could be seen in any direction, so the sun bared down on them brightly and warmed them. "Odin knew about Earth; he was fascinated by it and me." She looked back at Thor. "He never had the connection to it that you do, though, obviously. I know he hates Earth now. He hates it because the planet and its people have captured your attention, arguably more than Asgard has…"

Thor shook his head and said, "I wouldn't say that."

She grinned and replied, "I know you wouldn't. You are so loyal to what you love, even the place you consider home."

Loki squinted his eyes and questioned, "The place he considers home? Are you trying to say that Thor had another home?"

She began to reply when suddenly a loud boom was heard and multiple bright colors surrounded them. They all turned around to see Odin on a white stallion staring down at them. "Thor!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" He looked around and widened his eyes when he saw Loki, but his expression turned into a scowl when he saw Gaea. He snapped his head back to Thor and spat, "I thought I told you to stay away from her. I thought I told you not to speak with her! You always defy me!"

Gaea glared at Odin and spoke firmly. "Actually, I found them as soon as they stepped onto the planet. You know I pay attention when he comes here. There is never a moment when he steps foot on this planet that I don't know about." She looked at Thor and winked at him quickly. "Thor came here to talk to his brother. I simply took advantage of their arrival."

Odin wrinkled his face in anger and stated, "I want you to respect my wishes. I told you to leave my son alone." He glanced at Loki before looking back at her. "That goes for both of my sons."

"You are not my…" Loki began but he was cut off.

"Not now, Loki!" Gaea and Odin yelled simultaneously at him.

He took a step back and looked at Thor in amusement. "Gee, I believe these two get under each other's skin worse than I do. This is going to be good to watch."

"Please, brother, like they said, not now," Thor said, stepping closer to Odin and speaking with him. He wanted to take advantage of this confrontation. "Father," he called out to get his attention. When Odin looked at him, he suggested, "While we are all here, perhaps we can get everything out on the table. Why don't you want us to speak? She doesn't seem to be a threat at all and…"

"We are not going to discuss this right now!" he snapped.

"And, why not?" Gaea interjected. "Oh, I already know. You're afraid the truth will come out! And, you know what? It should! I told you that in Asgard. I can help Thor with his recent grief. I could help him understand Earth's importance to him. Hell, this could even help his relationship with his brother." She smiled ruthlessly as she remarked, "I guess the only person this could potentially hurt is you for keeping it from him for so long."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Odin spat. "And, I refuse to hear it any longer."

Suddenly, the light brightened and they were travelling through the Bifrost. When they appeared back in Asgard, Thor growled in disapproval. "I wasn't ready to leave!" he complained.

"Well, I was," Odin replied crossly. He looked at Thor for a moment before moving his eyes to his other son. "Welcome back to Asgard, Loki."

Thor stepped in front of his brother and glared at his father as he turned to look at his guards that must have been told to wait there for them. Before Odin could give any kind of order or say anything else, another boom was heard and a large light filled the room. Shielding their eyes, they watched as Gaea appeared. When the light dimmed and went away completely, she glowered at the All-Father and stated, "I wasn't through talking to _our son_, Odin. Would you like the honors of telling him the truth? Or should I?"

Both Thor and Loki heard Gaea's words and a gasp was all they could manage for the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for the recent reviews. They keep me inspired to continue this story. I hope you will enjoy this chapter._

The Truth About Lies Chapter 5

A pin drop could be heard in the moments following Gaea's words. It seemed as though no one knew what to say...no one besides Gaea, that is. "Well?" she questioned firmly as she glared at Odin.

Thor looked over at his father and saw that Odin was watching him remorsefully. He felt someone grab his shoulder and give it a firm squeeze. He turned his head to look slightly behind him and saw Loki staring at him sympathetically. Immediately, he turned back to his father and asked, "What is she talking about, Father? Who is she talking about? Who is her son?" He had a horrible notion who that person was, but he needed it confirmed.

"Thor," Odin said, walking over to him. "I never wanted you to find out this way."

That was confirmation enough. Quickly, he closed his eyes and tilted his head downward, almost as if he wanted to block everything out now. When he looked back up at the All-Father, he asked as calmly as he could muster, "Is she my mother?" Thor shook his head. "Are you even my father? Am I about to find out that I'm a Frost Giant, too? Or maybe I'm a giant or a fire demon from Muspelheim?"

"No," Odin stated firmly. "You are my son."

Thor gritted his teeth for a moment and then asked, "Just like Loki is your son?"

"Yes and no," Odin replied, matter-of-factly. "Yes, Loki is my son, too, but _you_ are of my blood. _You_ are truly my son…"

Thor interrupted him by exclaiming, "But I'm not of Frigga's blood! That's what all of this is about, right?"

Odin grimaced and stepped closer. He placed his hand on his son's bare shoulder—Loki still had ahold of the other—and answered softly, "No, you are not."

Thor immediately shrugged everyone's hands off of him. He stepped away and looked at Gaea. "What are you? What am I?" His mind was filled with thoughts of Loki's discovery, that Loki wasn't even of the flesh he had grown up with. Would he have a similar fate?

Odin didn't allow her time to speak. "You are an Asgardian," he answered; "You are part of the Aesir."

Thor ignored him and continued to look at Gaea.

She nodded and said, "You are part of the Aesir as your father says, but you're also a part of Earth."

"What do you mean?"

"Thor, I am Earth personified. I am Mother of Midgard. I'm your mother."

Squeezing his eyes shut and walking away to pace a little, he replied, "I don't even know what that means."

"Thor," Odin said, trying to get his attention. His son glared at him.

Before the All-Father could even say a syllable, Thor cried out, "And, why didn't you tell me this before? Why did you let me believe Frigga was my mother?"

"She is your mother in every way that it counts," Odin insisted.

Thor looked over at Loki for a moment and then asked coolly, "And, what is my purpose? You wanted Loki so he could build an alliance between us and the Frost Giants. Why did you want me?"

"I wanted a son."

He shook his head. "No, it was more than that. As Loki and I had discussed earlier today, you always have a reason for everything that you do. Mother told us that constantly, so I ask again: what purpose do I serve?"

Odin turned his head to glare at Gaea for a moment before he looked back at his son. His countenance changed into one of regret and guilt. "I wanted a son, one who would be strong on Earth."

"Why?" Thor cried as a single tear slipped down his cheek. He wiped it away speedily. He didn't cry easily and he wasn't going to start now.

"If we ever had a war with the Midgardians…"

Thor cried out, "So, I'm just a tool, like Loki was! I'm another way to protect Asgard!"

"NO! You are not a tool! You are my son, and I wanted you very much! Frigga wanted you!"

Thor didn't want to hear any more right now. How could he trust the words that were coming out of Odin's mouth? He didn't even know how he could bear to hear his father's voice anymore after this! He shook his head and turned around hurriedly to look at Heimdall, who carried the uru sword. He was tempted to run over there, take it, activate the Bifrost, and just go somewhere…anywhere but here. But instead, he simply walked away and headed back towards the city.

"Thor!" he heard both Gaea and Odin call out to him, but he ignored them. He would hear what they had to say later when he knew he could handle it and actually listen. At this moment, his emotions were too raw and running rampant. He was trying hard to keep them in check and it was proving to be difficult. He wanted to act like he had in the past when he was younger: use Mjölnir to destroy a few things to get the pain out, but he was no longer that boy. Or at least, he tried not to be ever since he made his awful mistake of going to Jotenheim not all that long ago…

He heard someone running up behind him, but he didn't turn around to see who it was. It wasn't until the person stepped to his side that he knew:

Loki.

Thor was actually glad his brother was there and that he wouldn't have to handle this alone.

=)=)=)

_I know. This is another short chapter I wanted to get something out tonight. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm not sure how well it turned out, but I hope it was at least interesting, haha. Let me know what you think, please! I'll try my best to get something out in the very near future. After Friday, I'm out for the holidays, so I'll have a lot more time to write! _


	6. Chapter 6

_Like I have before, I want to thank those who commented and are now following this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it. I also want to address a few comments about Loki: some said he was uncharacteristically silent. Loki is smart enough to pick and choose his moments, IMHO. If he wants to rebuild a cordial relationship with Thor, he has to make wise decisions, especially when it comes to his snide remarks (haha) and actually be there for Thor! And, who knows? Maybe he has his reasons. LOL! Regardless, thanks for the comments. Continue to let me know what you think! In any case, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! _

The Truth About Lies Chapter 6

They walked back towards the city together. Thor refused to look at Loki, but secretly he was somewhat comforted by his presence.

"Thor…" Loki began but quickly Thor shook his head at him.

"I do not want to talk right now, brother," he said simply. He turned to meet his gaze for a brief second before facing forward again.

Loki fell silent, but he didn't stay that way for long. Behind them, they could hear Sleipnir, their father's horse, and he knew Odin was following them.

"Thor," they heard Odin say as the All-Father got within ten feet of them.

Thor gritted his teeth and kept going. He didn't turn around. Loki looked at his brother, saw his expression, and turned abruptly to face Odin. "Don't you think you've done enough today?" Loki spat. "First, you destroy my life because you never told me who I truly was. You would have thought that the almighty, powerful Odin would learn from his mistakes, but no, you continued to keep secrets and did the same thing you did to me to your precious Thor!"

Odin climbed down from Sleipnir and stepped in front of Loki. Several feet away, Thor had stopped and turned his head slightly to listen to what was happening behind him, but he didn't look at them. Odin spoke, "I think you are hardly the person who should be questioning if I learn from my mistakes, Loki. After everything that you have done…"

Loki laughed sarcastically. "Are you serious? Here you are, caught in another one of your lies and instead of addressing that, you choose to ridicule your adopted son who you claimed to still love."

Odin locked his jaw as he watched Thor turn around to look at him. He met Thor's gaze for a moment before looking back at Loki. "You're right. I am wasting time with you right now." He turned to his guardsmen that were following him. "Guards, take Loki back to Asgard and put him in confinement."

Loki backed up a little as the guards rushed forward, but before they could reach him, a sudden lightning strike hit the rainbow bridge. The surprise and the intensity of the impact made Loki and the guardsmen fall onto their backs. Even Odin and Sleipnir took cautious steps backwards. "Wha-?" Loki gasped when he sat up and looked behind him as the skies grew dark and thunder boomed all around them. He smiled when he saw that Thor held Mjölnir high above his head.

Lowering his weapon, Thor stepped forward, grabbed Loki, and pulled him roughly to his feet. Gritting his teeth for a moment, he stared at Odin unblinkingly and then declared, "Enough heartache has occurred to our family this day; I do not wish any more to be added on to it. Loki is coming with me."

Odin stepped closer, within five feet of Thor, and replied, "Loki is a criminal. Despite being my son and your brother, he still needs to carry out his sentence…"

Thor wrinkled his face in disgust at Odin's words and raised his voice significantly, "Loki has done many wrongs, I do realize that, but when have you ever paid for yours?"

Odin gaped at his son. "Thor?" he questioned disbelievingly.

Thor shook his head and said, "I never understood Loki's actions. I never understood how he could turn his back on you and Asgard. At one point I had even believed someone or something was controlling him." He tilted his head downward for a moment before looking back up. "Now, I see the truth: despair made him act the way he does and that despair was caused by you."

Odin stepped closer until Thor glared at him and raised Mjölnir slightly. The All-Father stopped immediately. "I admit I've done many wrongs and that I have hurt the both of you, but you must know that was never my intentions. I love you both. You're my sons."

Loki smirked at Odin and replied, "You have a funny way of showing it, _Father_." He spat the last word to let Odin know exactly what he thought of that term, at least in regards to him.

Odin turned his attention to his youngest. "Like I said, I have done things that I regret, but there is one thing I will not accept responsibility for and that's your actions, Loki. You made your own choices, and you have not fooled me for a second. You went to Laufey to ruin Thor's coronation before you even found out your true parentage. You were the one who let Frost Giants into the weapons vault. You wanted Thor to disobey me and you played him like you always do…"

Loki sneered at Odin and interrupted by questioning, "Did you ever stop to think that your actions over the years drove me…"

"Enough!" Thor yelled firmly. He looked at Loki and then Odin and said, "I'm sorry, but this is not about your relationship right now. I do not want to hear the same old arguments that I have heard for the last year." He paused, looked behind Odin, and asked, "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" Odin looked genuinely confused.

"Gaea," Thor answered. "My supposed mother. Where is she?"

Odin frowned. "I convinced her to go back to Midgard for now. I told her I wanted to talk to you first." He sighed. "I still don't want you to have anything to do with her. She…" Thor interrupted him.

"You don't want me to have anything to do with my own mother?" he asked incredulously.

Odin pursed his lips disapprovingly and countered, "Frigga is your mother, not Gaea. We owe that woman nothing. She agreed long ago to give you up and stay out of your life, and I expect her to keep that promise."

Thor growled loudly and walked within mere inches of Odin. They stood face-to-face as he spat, "If you didn't want her to be my mother, you should have thought about that before you laid with her!" He stepped back abruptly and glared at him. "Speaking of which, how did that even come about? You were married to Frigga. So, I'm the bastard son of your infidelity." He squeezed his eyes shut and mumbled, "Mother is amazing. I never got an inkling that she saw me as anything but her son, but when she looked at me, she had to be reminded of what you did." He paused and looked at Loki. He huffed a little in sarcastic amusement. "Well, I was always jealous of her relationship with Loki. Just like I was supposedly closer to you, Loki was closer to Mother. I guess now I know why. That's why she shared her abilities of deception with him instead of me."

Loki widened his eyes and gasped a little. "Thor, I never realized…"

Thor shook his head. "It doesn't matter now, Loki." He turned back to Odin who apparently was waiting patiently for his son to look at him again.

Odin held his eyes unwaveringly and replied, "I wooed Gaea. I had every intention of creating…"

Thor turned around abruptly and groaned loudly. "It turns out I don't want to hear this right now." He then stated resolutely, "I do not know if I'll ever be able to hear it, especially from you." He shook his head again and whispered, "I never thought you would deceive me as you have. I never saw this coming." The skies crackled and boomed with lightning and thunder again menacingly. Odin looked up at the skies and then back at Thor.

"You must control yourself, son. If your emotions get out of hand, you might…"

"Do NOT tell me what to do!" Thor snarled and once again lightning popped as he tightened his hold on Mjölnir. He looked back to his brother and said, "Loki is coming with me." He faced Odin once more and added, "Do not send your guards after us or anyone else. I'm warning you now…"

"Warning me?" Odin asked incredulously.

Thor simply continued determinedly, "…that if you send anyone to confront us or take Loki back to prison, I will fight back and they will lose." Thor walked to Loki's side rapidly and grabbed him by the arm.

"Thor!" Odin called out warningly.

He didn't listen. Instead, he lifted Mjölnir and flew Loki and himself back to the Bifrost. As soon as they landed, he said, "Heimdall, I want to go to Midgard. Will you grant me passage?"

Heimdall looked down the rainbow bridge at Odin who was riding back towards them. "The king has not forbidden me to do so, but I have a feeling he will soon. I owe you for helping me to protect Asgard from the elves, so hurry."

Quickly, they went inside and Heimdall activated the Bifrost. Just as Odin arrived, Loki and he departed. When they landed on Earth once more, Thor looked up at the sky, hurriedly raised Mjölnir, grabbed Loki, and shot up into the air. He knew to avoid Odin, he would have to get away from the site to make it harder for the All-Father to find them.


	7. Chapter 7

_Sorry that it took so long to get this out._

The Truth About Lies Chapter 7

There were times when Thor wondered what life would be like without Mjölnir. Oh, he could remember when he was a child and it had just been him and Loki causing mischief throughout the palace and fighting bullies in the courtyard with their mere fists. In those days, he had always known of Mjölnir's existence—he knew the legend well. Supposedly, his father had the hammer forged in the core of a dying star. It was to be a companion of Asgard's greatest warrior. Even as a child, he had imagined himself as that person and he did all that he could to ensure that he was. He had wanted to fight with the hammer, to win wars with it…

At that moment, all he wanted to do with it was run.

He knew without a doubt in his mind that the All-Father was searching Midgard for him now that he had fled. He was probably even using Heimdall, who could easily spot him, so the key was to keep moving, to move faster than the Bifrost could send someone to an area. He hoped it worked.

"Thor," he heard Loki gasp beside him. "Please, you might be used to defying gravity at monstrous speeds, but I'm not. Can we stop?"

Taking pity on his brother, he found an uninhabited spot below them and quickly broke through tree branches and other types of vegetation to set themselves on the ground. "We can't stay here for long," he replied, "Heimdall and our father will find us soon and…"

Loki took several large breaths to put more air into his lungs. When he was sure he was able to, he interrupted, "So, what's your grand plan? To keep moving until we pass out from exhaustion? We can't fly indefinitely."

"I'll think of something eventually, brother," Thor stated confidently. "Perhaps, Father will let us be for a while."

Loki laughed sarcastically. "Are you serious? He would never let his precious Thor run from him."

Pursing his lips in irritation, he replied, "I wish you would stop saying that. I'm not his 'precious Thor' any more than you're his 'precious Loki.' He lied to us both."

"At least he _is_ _your_ father," Loki mumbled.

Before either could say anything more, the wind picked up and started blowing against them roughly. It was very reminiscent of what had happened earlier that day. They looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Gaea." They both looked around to see if they could spot her rising from the earth, but instead, it seemed like the entire earth was rising. It took them both a moment to realize that the ground wasn't moving; rather, they were descending into it.

"Loki," Thor gasped as he grabbed his brother's arm. He lifted Mjölnir in the air, but before he could take flight, Gaea's voice stopped him.

"Please don't leave. I'm only preventing your father from finding you."

At those words, he let his brother go. Suddenly, they were falling at a high rate of speed, but he used Mjölnir to catch himself whereas Loki fell on a huge pile of leaves and vines.

"Did you even think to catch me, brother?" Loki snapped as he tried to get the leaves off and untangle himself from the vines.

Thor lowered himself slowly to the ground and then took the opportunity to look around. He didn't answer Loki's question. "We seem to be in some sort of cave," he noted.

"No," Loki responded sarcastically; "I thought we were at the beach." He finally freed himself and came to stand beside his brother.

Thor glared at his companion and then growled, "Why are you always so irritable?"

Instead of Loki answering him, Gaea did even though she was nowhere to be seen. "Perhaps it is a mere habit, Thor. Or, maybe he's upset because he's been reminded that despite the fact that Frigga is not your mother, Odin is still your father. Jealousy is a good source of antagonism."

Loki glared around the room and turned in circles trying to spot her. "Thank you for that endearing attempt to look inside my mind, but I'm afraid you have no idea what you're talking about."

When Loki faced Thor again, a voice replied close behind them. "Perhaps you are right. It was only a guess."

The brothers spun around quickly and noticed that Gaea stood only five feet away. She smiled at Thor and said without missing a beat, "I'm so happy you have come to see me again."

Thor swallowed roughly as he stared at the woman. She looked much the same as she did earlier, but there was a slight difference: she was still wearing a green dress and her dark hair was still falling wildly in curls down her shoulders and back. She had brown eyes, but he noticed that the more he looked at them, the more they seemed to be changing to green. Making himself pay attention to what was happening around him and their discussion, he shook his head several times and then replied, "Who said I'm here to see you? I left Asgard to get away from my father. I wasn't going to be left alone as I had requested and Father wanted to throw my brother into confinement." He gestured towards Loki.

Gaea glanced at her son's companion for only a second and asked softly, "You do care about this small 'giant', don't you?"

Loki glared at her and took a bold step forward, but Thor quickly placed a hand on his shoulder and said sharply, "Brother." He met Gaea's gaze then and admitted, "Yes, I do."

She nodded once with a look of amusement. "As for why you are here, I think you should be honest with yourself. You had seven other realms to choose from when leaving Asgard, and yet, you chose Midgard. Why? You knew I was here and you knew I'd find you, just as I did before. You wanted me to find you, so here I am."

Thor turned away from Gaea and looked around the enclosed cave. He could see no way out, but he knew there had to be air coming from somewhere since he could breathe without difficulty and torches burned brightly all around them. Calmly, he replied, "Here you are, but where are we?"

She smiled. "Nowhere in particular, just far beneath the surface, son," she answered.

Thor cringed and stated authoritatively, "Do not call me 'son.' I do not know you and you do not know me."

Gaea walked over to him and touched his wrist hesitantly, almost as if she were testing him to see his response. When he did not pull away, she wrapped her fingers around him and countered, "I know a great deal about you, Thor. I daresay I know more about you than you do."

When he looked at her questioningly, she said, "You have spent all your life in Asgard. You grew up with Loki inside the palace. Your father had tutors to teach you when you were younger, but he also allowed other students to attend these studies so you could make friends. That's how you met Sif and the Warriors Three. Let's see…while you were younger and even recently, you've had some interest in Sif romantically, but currently, you have turned those pursuits to a mortal here by the name of Jane Foster…"

"What?" Loki interrupted with wide eyes and a huge grin. "Why, Thor, Sif really is on the list? I had no idea."

Slightly embarrassed, Thor could feel heat spreading throughout his body, especially to his face and ears. Taking a deep breath and glaring at Loki to get himself under control, he snapped, "Do not start, brother!" When he turned back to Gaea, he added, "So, you do know some things, but you said you know more than I do. Would you care to enlighten me?"

"Please!" Loki added gleefully. He sat down on the ground cross-legged and seemed attentive. Thor frowned in annoyance at his brother.

Gaea chuckled and gestured behind her to two large logs facing each other. "Let's sit and make ourselves more comfortable." As Thor followed, Loki jumped up and joined them.

When they were all seated, she asked, "Are you sure you want to know everything?"

Thor looked at his brother instinctively. He remembered their earlier discussion: Loki had stated that he would have chosen to learn the truth about his past, even if he had been warned that it would upset him. He realized he felt the same way. He already knew Gaea was his mother, so he might as well find out everything else that went along with it. "Yes," he answered simply.

"Good," she replied and then began. "Like you already know, you were born over 2,000 years ago. What you might not realize is that you were not born in Asgard." She grinned and revealed, "You were born here on Earth in a cave, which is now in a place called Norway."

"Well, how about that," Loki said in amusement. "When Father complains about Jane in the future, you should tell him you are only in love with one of your own people since you are an Earthling."

Thor sighed in response to Loki's words, but Gaea was the one who replied. "Well, in a way, those words aren't exactly true."

"What do you mean?" Thor asked.

"When Loki used the term 'Earthling', he was implying that you are a mortal. You are not."

Loki smirked and said, "Ah, yes, he is his father's son, after all."

"Not exactly," Gaea replied with a smile.

"What?" Thor asked. He shook his head. Already he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

She laughed and explained, "Your father is not the only reason that you're not a mortal. I'm not one, either, you know."

"What are you?" Thor asked. He had asked that question earlier and hadn't received a clear answer.

She shrugged and answered, "I told you earlier that I am Mother of Midgard. I created Earth."

Loki and Thor gasped in surprise at that last bit of information. Loki was the first to recover and stated, "So, you mean you are a goddess; therefore, Thor really is a god, like Earthlings have thought over the years."

Gaea rolled her eyes and said, "'Goddess' and 'god' are applied too often in Midgard. Anyone who has powers or lives for many years is considered a 'god' to them."

Thor felt a chill run down his spine as he asked, "So, you're not a goddess?"

She grinned. "It all depends on your definition of the word, son. Do I have powers and the ability to live forever? Yes. Did I have a hand in creating the Earth you know today? Yes. Did I have a hand in creating the universe? Yes."

Thor looked down at his hands for a moment and replied softly, "My father is of the Aesir. He is an Asgardian. What are you? I would like to know who I am. What other people does my blood belong to?"

She looked at him sympathetically and replied, "There is no name to share really besides those given by Earthlings. Like they called you the God of Thunder, they called me and several others part of what they termed the 'Elder Gods.'" She smiled and added, "You and your father are considered a second generation of gods, if you will."

Loki widened his brow and clarified, "And, you were part of the first."

She nodded her head once in acquiescence.

Clearly interested, Loki asked another question, "Then, you are far older than Odin?"

Gaea laughed again and answered, "Yes, I am."

Thor stood up abruptly and walked away from them.

"Thor?" Gaea and Loki called out at the same time.

He kept walking away until he could go no farther. When he turned around, he saw that they had followed him. He leaned against the wall behind him and stated firmly, "My father stated earlier that I was wanted, that Frigga wanted me. Why was I born and why did you give me up?"

=)=)=)

_As you can tell I'm trying to interweave some of Marvel's plots in this story, as well as those from Norse Mythology. As you know, there are so many different versions from both sources, ironically. So, this is going to take some flushing out, so I hope you don't mind that this chapter mainly dealt with that. After all, I believe a son who found out he was possibly of another species would want to know these things._

_In any case, I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry that I haven't updated this before now. Hope you enjoy it._

The Truth About Lies Chapter 8

"_Why was I born and why did you give me up_?"

Thor didn't know why, but he had expected to see Gaea flinch or show some kind of discomfort at his question. She didn't. She merely stared at him matter-of-factly and replied, "There's not an easy answer to those questions, Thor, but I'll do my best to explain. In those days, I was lonely. I had developed the habit of disguising myself to find companionship. Mortal men and the younger 'gods' would have tried to befriend me only to use me. That had occurred often enough, so I hid my identity to stop that vicious cycle. When I met your father, I called myself Jord…"

Thor and Loki popped their heads up at that. "Jord," Thor repeated softly.

Gaea raised an eyebrow questioningly and asked, "You know that name?"

He nodded. "Yes, when I asked my father about you earlier, he told me that your name was Jord. I got angry. I thought he was lying to me, because I knew your name was Gaea."

She smiled a little and said, "I suppose it depends on how you look at it to determine whether he was lying or not. He knows now that my name is Gaea—he found that out before you were born. Sometimes, he still calls me Jord, but overall, he refers to me by my right name. For him to tell you that I'm Jord, he must have wanted to keep my true identity a secret. After all, it would be much easier to learn about 'Gaea' than it would be 'Jord' if you ever had the desire to try to find out about me on your own."

He nodded, accepting her thoughts on his father's actions. That was his thinking, as well.

Loki quickly interjected his thoughts. "Odin always looks for ways to hide the truth, doesn't he? Lies hidden in truths. Too bad he's not too good at it."

Gaea shrugged and said, "Oh, I don't know. He hid the truth about me and your parents, Loki, for over 2,000 years. I think that's quite an accomplishment, don't you?"

Loki grimaced and mumbled to himself.

Bringing their conversation back to the original topic, Thor asked, "I gather from your story that you wanted companionship with my father. How did that turn into wanting to have a baby with him?"

"Oh, Thor," Loki said admonishingly with a smirk. "Must we discuss the happenings between a man and a woman again? You would think you'd know by now."

Thor frowned at his brother but didn't reply, because Gaea caught his attention.

She had a faraway look in her eyes, almost as if she were reliving the past in her mind. Thor didn't doubt that for a second, so he listened intently when she began to speak. "At that time, I was having problems with my family. Some of the other Elder Gods were being petty and cruel, especially to the inhabitants of Earth. In order to stop them, I bore children that would grow up to protect the planet and its life. Everyone I coupled with knew my goal and learned my true identity. When I told your father who I truly was—even though I now have my suspicions that he always knew—he asked if I would be willing to give him the offspring of our copulation. He claimed that he needed a powerful son who would lead Asgard and that I was the one who could provide that for him. He then said I would still achieve my goal, too, because he wanted you to protect Midgard, as well. He told me about your hammer and the powers that you would have when you wielded it. It seemed like a win-win situation. At the time, I really liked your father and I even liked Frigga. She seemed to want you as much as he did, and for a wife to be so willing to have her husband do this, I knew there had to be a good reason. So, I agreed. I laid with Odin and gave you to him…" She paused for a moment and looked deeply into Thor's eyes. "But that doesn't mean that I forgot about you. Like I said earlier, I watched you all the time. I knew what was happening in your life, and whenever you went to Earth, I was there with you even if you couldn't see me. I loved you very much, and I still do."

Thor looked down at the ground and whispered, "Why does my Father want you to stay away? What is he afraid of?"

She smirked, "Isn't it obvious? You are to be Asgard's king. If you have a preference for Earth and its people, then your heart isn't going to be in Asgard. It's going to be here. That is the one problem with your father's plan. He didn't take into account at the time that because I am Earth, the pull of this realm would be very strong to you. Earth is a part of you, more so than Asgard. He hates that notion, because he wants you to love and protect Asgard and cast Midgard aside if need be. He's seeing now that you won't do that."

Thor moved away from the wall and walked past Gaea and Loki again. He sat back down on the log and shook his head miserably.

Loki walked over to join his brother. He sat beside him and looked up at Gaea when she came to stand in front of them. "What did you mean earlier when you said that you now believe Odin had always known who you were?" he asked, inquisitively. "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "Well, it is the only thing that makes sense. Think about it. I interacted with your father a lot and Frigga never said a disparaging word to me or him, even before I told them who I really was. I know now that Odin didn't care for me romantically at all, so why did he pretend that he did? Why did Frigga allow it? That tells me that they wanted something from me and the only thing they ever got, which stopped our interactions all together, was Thor."

Thor shook his head and looked straight ahead of him. "So, I am a son who was wanted for the powers I would one day possess, nothing more. Both of my parents felt this way and schemed to make my existence a reality." He then met Gaea's eyes and said, "And, I have a whole other family that I know nothing about. You said you bore children…that means I have brothers and sisters that I never met."

Gaea blinked several times in surprise. "Y-yes," she stuttered. "You do, but I never…" She couldn't get anything else out, because Loki jumped to his feet and glared at her.

"I bet these children of yours would just love to meet Thor," he spat. "Oh, yes, they'd love to use him for the same powers you and Odin want to exploit. They probably care about him as much as you and Odin do, and that's hardly at all. Well, Thor doesn't want to meet them or have anything else to do with them." He turned to his brother abruptly and ordered forcefully, "Let's go!"

Thor was shocked at Loki's sudden hostility. He had practically been enthralled with Gaea's story until that point. He had hung on every word and actually seemed to like her, so what had happened? "Loki?" he questioned.

Loki wouldn't take no for an answer. "Don't you think we should think about all of this before we run off to meet your long lost brothers and sisters that we know nothing about? We don't even know enough about Gaea to trust her! And, and…we need to figure out what we're going to do. It's not like we can stay in this cave forever. Are you going back to Asgard or elsewhere? We have enough to think about without adding more to it."

Thor stood and glanced over at Gaea before grabbing his brother by the arm. He leaned close and whispered, "What's wrong with you?"

Loki simply glared at him, which made Thor squeeze his eyes shut for a moment. He had an idea what the problem was. He turned to Gaea and said, "Is there a place we can go that will hide us from Odin and Heimdall and give Loki and me enough time to talk privately?"

Gaea nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

The Truth About Lies Chapter 9

Gaea gestured for Thor and Loki to follow her. She began to walk down a corridor that was off to their left and the brothers stared after her in shock. They hadn't noticed the opening earlier. In fact, Thor was fairly sure it hadn't been there before, but he began to follow, anyway.

Suddenly, his brother's arm shot out and grabbed him. "Should we be blindly following her?" he asked.

Thor turned to face Loki and asked, "Do you have a better idea? I don't know where to go or what to do right now…" He shook his head.

Loki dropped his hand to his side and only got a syllable of his initial response out before he clammed up. Thor met his gaze and could tell his brother had been on the verge of giving him a scathing reply—probably something about the Mighty Thor not knowing what to do—but had thought better of it. Loki looked serious for a moment and said, "We could always go to one of _my_ hideaways. We don't need Gaea."

Thor looked to the floor and contemplated what he wanted to do. "I want answers," he replied finally. "I don't know if I'll ever get honest ones from Father. Besides, I feel so...I don't know how to even describe it. Gaea is not innocent in all of this. I know that, but she is my mother. I doubt she will hurt us. She could have at any time before now, but she didn't."

Loki sighed.

When Thor heard it, he asked, "Why are you suddenly so set against her?"

"Were you even listening to her story? She created children to basically be her soldiers for Earth. That doesn't concern you at all? Maybe this is all a ploy…"

Thor pursed his lips for a moment and then shook his head. "No, Loki, if she needed help in protecting the Earth, all she would have to do is ask. She knows how I feel about this realm. Tricks would be unneeded and pointless."

He started to follow Gaea, so Loki did, as well. As they walked together, he asked softly, "Do you have plans to meet her offspring?"

Thor glanced at him briefly as they tried to find Gaea and catch up with her. "Yes," he stated matter-of-factly. "They are my brothers and sisters. Now that I know of their existence, how can I not?" He smiled with a shrug and commented smugly, "Who knows, brother? We may find a sibling that you actually like."

Loki snarled. "They're not my siblings—they're yours, if you must claim them! And, I already have…" He trailed off when Thor looked at him curiously.

"You already have what?"

Loki wrinkled his face and said, "Oh, you would just love for me to say it, wouldn't you? Hold it over my head every chance you get? Well, it's not going to happen."

Thor shook his head exasperatedly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Loki. When have I ever held anything over your head? I have forgiven you time and time again for countless pranks, betrayals, and crimes. You would think by now that you would get it through your head that I…" He grew silent.

"Here we go," Loki stated sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

Thor frowned and stomped off. "You know what? Never mind. I'm tired of arguing. I have enough to contemplate and worry about." He stopped when he realized that Loki was no longer beside him. He turned around and saw his brother standing where he had walked away from him. He headed back and questioned, "Loki, what are you doing? Why aren't you coming with me?"

"You've had enough, you said. I thought you might desire a break from your old family and time to spend getting acquainted with your new one."

Thor gripped Mjölnir tightly and stared at the ceiling above them. When he looked back down, he stated firmly, "I never said I desired a break from anyone but my father." He walked closer and grabbed his brother's shoulder. "I have always followed you when you've run off. Why would I walk away now?" He sighed and mumbled, "I need you now, brother, more than ever."

"Sentimental fool," Loki said calmly.

Thor smiled and nodded, though. He could tell Loki accepted his words and had agreed to come with him even if he wouldn't say it aloud. "Come on, brother." When he walked away, he noticed with a soft smile that Loki was right beside him.

=)=)=)

Walking for several minutes, the brothers eventually found themselves stepping out of the corridor into a large opening. They both gasped. They appeared to be on a cliff and far below them, stretching into the sky and disappearing into the earth above them, was a castle. Water surrounded it and it actually looked beautiful despite being underground and the color of sand.

"Welcome to my home," they heard Gaea speak behind them.

Loki turned around, clearly startled, but Thor had gotten a feeling that she would show up now that they were here, so he hadn't been surprised to hear her voice.

Calmly, he turned around. "It's very beautiful," he said.

Gaea smiled softly and offered, "It can be your home, too, for as long as you like. Your father will not find you here. Your brother can stay, as well." She then stepped off the cliff and Thor was surprised to see that the earth had risen quickly to stop her fall. As she kept stepping forward, stairs appeared under her feet. "Come on," she called out.

Thor glanced at Loki and motioned with his head to follow. He stepped on the freshly-made staircase and was surprised to find it sturdy. He followed Gaea and looked back every so often to make sure Loki was following. His brother seemed nervous coming down the steps, but he was practically skipping down them two at a time. When he finally reached the bottom, a boat awaited them. Gaea was already standing inside of it.

"Your Frost Giant is slow," Gaea said with a grin and a laugh.

"Don't call him that," Thor replied calmly. "He is my brother and an Asgardian. Those are acceptable terms to call him."

Gaea studied his face and Thor almost wanted to fidget under scrutiny. Finally, she asked, "What does he feel on the matter? Does he deny that heritage, that part of himself?" Before he could answer, Gaea added, "Will you deny the newly discovered part of yourself, as well?"

At that moment, Loki walked up and got into the boat with them. Thor ignored Gaea's last question and they both settled down to go to Gaea's palace.

=)=)=)

_I know it's moving along slowly but surely. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_


End file.
